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In accordance with new FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review on my site are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. I am in no way compensated for any reviews on my site.

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About Me

A literary journalist and publicist since 2001, Dee Stewart’s writings have appeared in RT Book Reviews, Spirit Led Woman, Precious Times, Romantic Times Magazines and on The Master’s Artist Blog. Her work focuses on fiction, popular culture, media and their relationship to people who live according to a Christian worldview. She is the also owner of Christian Fiction Blog and DeeGospel PR. Moreover, she writes for Kensington Publishers under the pen name Miranda Parker. Her novel A Good Excuse to Be Bad releases July 2011. She lives in Atlanta, GA.

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

In three days I will share with you some of my tools to host a successful book event at the Virtual Writer's Conference. I hope you have registered. If you haven't you have only three days until you miss this chance. I will not be able to share this information again this year, because I am practicing what I preach...building and promoting great book events, and this summer and fall will be releasing some other educational products for authors and publicists. But until then, wouldn't you like a snippet of what I'll be discussing? If yes, just answer the question below via my email vidae at writing dot com, and I will send you a special report. I will not share your email with others. I will not secretly opt you in to any newsletter, because frankly I don't use one, so outside of you choosing to subscribe to this blog or my twitter feed, you want receive boilerplate white paper from me. only personal emails. Isn't that what you like, to have a personal connection with someone who can help you achieve your goals without selling your soul to the devil? lol. ok. i'm sleepy obviously. So here's the question:

What is the single most important question you have about launching your book to the marketplace?

I have fallen in strong like with a new widget for Christian Fiction Blog- Harper Collins Browse Inside

The Browse Inside widget enables book enthusiasts to embed sample pages of their favorite books directly into their blog posts, Web sites, and MySpace pages.

I really like this feature for CFB, because most of the books I showcase are books with Christian themes or books written by Christian people. From time to time I receive and email, DM or comment questioning the orthodoxy of these titles. Although the face that it's featured on my blog should suffice, I am reminded that sometimes I put up a disclaimer that the book isn't a Christian Fiction title, and I also give a reason why I think it deserves a read. With the Browse Inside Widget you guys don't have to buy the book or goto the store and read you can click on the widget and check it out yourself.

There are other browse inside features on Amazon and Barnes, but this widget is small enough for your blog and does the trick. Once you click on it you are directed to a page devoted to sharing the book, mainly first chapter, cover flap, reviews, and a newsletter request that you opt in to keep up with the author and the current title. It is similar to how Amazon's look Inside feaute is, but the pages are more dynamic and fluid, easy to get through and see. It also has a search engine for the book like Google Book Search. So it seems to be the best of both worlds exclusively for Harper Collins books.

I searched to see if other publishers had hopped on the bandwagon: Simon & Schuster did not have one.

The widget is a lightweight internet application that can be easily embedded into a Web page. In its small version, at 195 x 335 pixels, it fits snugly into any website and delivers interactive book previews by allowing a user to page forward and back through the book or search for keywords in the actual text content of the book - without ever leaving the Web page.

It also has audio capability where you can listen through an embedded player audio versions of the book.

So what does all this mean?

Some publishing houses have not just embraced the New Age of Digital Paper, but are using it competitively and smartly.

What it means for you are three things:

If you're a writer, you must understand your best marketing tool by far is to write a well-written, relevant, compelling story that meets the readership of your day. More readers will be able to view your words and choose quicker than before.

These widgets can be embedded in email campaigns, to social networks and will be great tools to help your favorite book or your book become more viral. Although both widgets aren't Facebook friendl yet, and Facebook's buying of Shelfari still hasn't taken off, I'm sure some group is tinkering around with a way to have the beauty and fluidity of these two widgets easily transferred. Now I wish I didn't drop my Math major to a minor. I could be the Widgetmaster for the Dream book widget. LOL.

For publishing houses that haven't embraced these new appis to began conversations with their readers, you may feel a sting of the Fail Whale.